Why does every conversation about dota cheats start with the same five questions and end in an argument? Mostly because the questions get answered out of order. Someone asks "what is there?", gets a reply about bans, then a reply about prices, and never finds out what the software does.
So here they are, in roughly the order people tend to ask them, with answers kept short where short is enough.
One thing up front, because it applies to every answer below: third-party software in online Dota 2 matches breaks the game's rules, and an account can be restricted for it. Nothing here suggests otherwise.
"What kinds are there?"
Five families cover nearly everything sold as dota cheats. Map information: maphack-style modules, Roshan alerts, teleport previews, ward tracking. Hero scripts: automation for specific characters, like Invoker's spell combinations or Meepo's clones. View changes: camera distance and a simplified low poly map. Cosmetics: a skin changer that alters items on your screen only. And, in some products, an API for writing your own scripts.
Most commercial menus mix all five, which is why "is it good?" is a strange question without first asking "good at which of these?"
"Do they play the game for me?"
Some parts do, most don't. Hero scripts take over sequences of actions; the Scripts for heroes section in Melonity's menu is a long list of characters, each with its own switches. Information modules never press a key. Neither family makes strategic decisions: where to farm, when to fight, what to buy against this draft. People who expect dota cheats to replace judgement are usually disappointed within a few matches, because the hard part of Dota was never only the fingers. It was reading the map, the timings and the enemy's intentions, and the software leaves those with you. What changes is that execution errors shrink, so the decisions that remain become the visible ones. Some players find that clarifying. Others find it exposes how much they were relying on mechanics to cover for choices.
"Is maphack the whole thing?"
No, though it's the oldest idea. Modern descriptions break map information into narrower pieces. Melonity's page talks about enemy icons appearing in the fog when they cast, an alert when Roshan is attacked with his health shown, teleport previews and a ward tracker.
The settings window for the map side looks like any other options page: toggles, a low poly map switch, display choices. Unremarkable, which is a useful reminder that a lot of what gets called dota cheats is presentation of information rather than action.
"Cheat, hack, script: any difference?"
In practice the words overlap. "Hack" tends to be used for the whole product, "script" for a single automated behavior, and dota cheats for the category as a whole. Sellers pick whichever word ranks better in search. The useful distinction isn't the noun but the verb: does the feature show something, or does it do something? Sorting dota cheats by that question tells you more than any label on the box.
"Can I get them free?"
There are free projects and there are free trials, and they're different animals. A free trial of a commercial product is time-limited access to the real thing, usually once per person. A free download from a forum is an unknown file with no update path. If a free download asks you to turn off antivirus protection, treat that as a reason to stop rather than a setup step.
"What does private mean?"
Distribution, mostly. Access tied to an account, a launcher that fetches the current version, an update log and a support channel. It does not mean the rules apply differently. Pages that imply private dota cheats can't be noticed are making a marketing claim nobody outside the developer can check.
"Will dota cheats get me banned?"
Nobody can honestly promise either way. Using third-party software breaks the rules, and enforcement is up to the game. Any page offering a guarantee here is selling reassurance, not information.
Brief, because there's nothing more to say about dota cheats and bans than that.
"How do I compare two products?"
Ignore feature counts; they differ between sites describing the same product. Instead, check four things: whether your own heroes have detailed scripts, whether update notes appear after big patches, how support is reached, and what the trial actually includes. Two sets of dota cheats with identical marketing can differ a lot on those four points.
"Where can I see a real menu?"
On the product's own page, ideally with screenshots of actual settings rather than renders. The hero list, information modules and the current trial terms for one product are on the page run by Melonity. Terms change, so check there rather than trusting a summary, including this one.
Disclosure: I have a connection to the project linked above, so weigh my answers with that in mind.
FAQ
What dota cheats exist besides maphack?
Hero scripts, camera and low poly map changes, a skin changer and, in some products, a custom scripts API.
Are hero scripts the same as macros?
No. A macro replays fixed key presses; a hero script reacts to cooldowns, distance and the target's state.
Does a skin changer affect other players?
No. It changes models on your screen only.
Is a free trial the same as free dota cheats?
No. A trial is limited access to a paid product; "free" downloads are usually unknown files.
Which operating systems are usually supported?
Melonity's page lists Windows 10/11. Check the current page before paying.
Do dota cheats need updating after patches?
Yes. Hero changes can break scripts, which is why update notes matter.